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EP VALIDATION PROCESS
EP VALIDATION PROCESS
•Presenters:o AnnMcCrackin,President,BlackHillsIP,LLC
o BrynWilliams,EuropeanPatentAttorney,CreationIP
o KarenMcCartney,IPParalegal,CreationIP
EP Validation Process – A Three Stage Process
• Stage1– AcceptanceofTexto fromreceiptofIntentiontoGranttoDecisiontoGrant
• Stage2– Granto fromDecisiontoGranttoGrantDate
• Stage3– Validationo fromGrantDatetoValidationcompletion
Stage 1 – Intention to Grant – Rule 71(3)
§ Driven by issuance of Communication Under Rule 71(3)
Stage 1 – Intention to Grant – Rule 71(3)
§ Requirements:o Approvethetexto Verifythebibliographicdatao FiletranslationsoftheclaimsintoFrenchandGermano PaytheGrantandPublishingFeeso PayadditionalClaimsandPrintingFees(ifnecessary)
Stage 1 – Intention to Grant – Rule 71(3)
§ Approve the texto Istheallowedtextcorrect?o HastheExaminermadefurtheramendments?
§ Verify bibliographic datao Areproprietordetailscorrect?o ChangeofdetailsrecordedcentrallyatEPOpriortogrant
Stage 1 – Acceptance of Text - Docketing Requirements
§ Timeforrespondingisfourmonths§ 10dayruleapplies§ Timeisnotextendable§ Furtherprocessingisavailableatanadditionalcost
§ providesapproximately2monthsforcomplyingwiththecommunication.
Stage 2 - Grant
§ Driven by issuance of Decision to Grant Article 97(1)
Stage 2 _ GStage 2 – Grant - Docketing Requirements
§ GrantDate- referredtoonfrontpageofDecisiontoGrant§ Setsdeadlineforfilingdivisionalapplications
§ Thedayprior tothegrantdate§ Notextendible– dropdeaddeadline
§ Setsdeadlineforcompletingvalidations§ 3monthsfromthegrantdate
§ Notextendible– dropdeaddeadline
Stage 2 – Renewals/Annuities - Docketing Requirements
Checkwhenrenewaldatefalls:
• IfbeforegrantdaterenewaldueatEPO(onefee)• If aftergrantdaterenewalsduenationally(multiplefees
dependingontheEPnationalselectioncountries)
Stage 1/2 – Strategy for renewal payment reductions
• Year5renewaldueatEuropeanPatentOffice– $1127• Year5renewalfeesdueatFrench,German,UK,Dutch,Italian,SpanishandIrishPatentOffices- $1895
• AOne-offsavingcanbemadeifitwerepossibletobringthefifthyearrenewaldateintoStage2(Grant)ratherthanStage3(Validation)
Stage 1/2 – Strategy for renewal payment reductions
• ActionhastobetakenduringStage1toactivelydelaydateofgrant.• Howcanthisbedone?
o FileresponsetoIntentiontoGrant/allowanceasclosetodeadlineaspossibleo Allowcasetogointofurtherprocessing
Stage 3 – Validation
• Drivenbydateofgrant– validationsmustbecompletedwithin3months– NotExtendible• Keyrequirements–
o ComplywithnationallawstoallowEuropeanPatenttohaveeffectinnationalstates
o TranslationandPowerofAttorneyrequirementsvaryfromcountrytocountry
Stage 3 – Validation
•Validationrequirementsinclude:o Paymentofnationalfeeso Filingofnationalformso Filingoftranslationso Appointinganaddressforservice(localcounselinacountry)
ØAnaddressforserviceisnotcompulsorybutisrecommendedtoensurecommunicationsconcerningrenewalfeesfromnationalofficesandfromthirdpartiesconcerning,forexample,licences,arecorrectlyreceived.
Stage 3 – Renewals/Annuities Considerations
• Iftherenewaldatefallsduewithinvalidationtermrenewaldeadlinerevertstovalidationdeadline• Asaruleofthumb,forcountrieswhichrequiretranslationstobefiled,renewalfeescannotbepaiduntilvalidationiscomplete.
Stage 3 – London Agreement
• TheLondonAgreementisapatentlawagreementconcludedinLondonon17October2000andaimedatreducingthetranslationcostsofEuropeanpatentsgrantedundertheEuropeanPatentConvention(EPC).• Currently21ofthe39EPCmemberstatesaresignatoriestotheLondonAgreementwhohavedispensedwithatleastsometranslationrequirements.
Stage 3 – Validation Matrix
Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq.Albania Yes ClaimsTranslation Greece Yes FullTranslation Poland Yes FullTranslationAustria Yes FullTranslation Hungary Yes ClaimsTranslation Portugal No FullTranslationBelgium No NoTranslation Iceland No ClaimsTranslation Romania Yes FullTranslationBosnia/Herz. Yes ClaimsTranslation Ireland Yes NoTranslation SanMarino Yes FullTranslationBulgaria Yes FullTranslation Italy Yes FullTranslation Serbia Yes FullTranslationCroatia Yes ClaimsTranslation Latvia No ClaimsTranslation Slovakia Yes FullTranslationCyprus Yes FullTranslation Lithuania Yes ClaimsTranslation Slovenia Yes ClaimsTranslationCzechRep. Yes FullTranslation Luxembourg No NoTranslation Spain No FullTranslationDenmark No ClaimsTranslation Macedonia Yes ClaimsTranslation Sweden No ClaimsTranslationEstonia Yes FullTranslation Malta Yes NoTranslation Switzerland Yes NoTranslationFinland No ClaimsTranslation Monaco Yes NoTranslation TheNetherlands No ClaimsTranslationFrance No NoTranslation Montenegro Yes ClaimsTranslation Turkey No FullTranslationGermany No NoTranslation Norway Yes ClaimsTranslation UnitedKingdom No NoTranslation
Stage 3 - Validation - Docketing Requirements
Checkrequirements– don’trunoutoftime:• Powerforms:• OriginalsmayberequiredbyAssociate• Greece– Powerformmustbeonfilebythevalidation
deadline.Emailinadvanceisacceptable.
Stage 3 – Validation Matrix – Powers Required
Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq.Albania Yes ClaimsTranslation Greece Yes FullTranslation Poland Yes FullTranslationAustria Yes FullTranslation Hungary Yes ClaimsTranslation Portugal No FullTranslationBelgium No NoTranslation Iceland No ClaimsTranslation Romania Yes FullTranslationBosnia/Herz. Yes ClaimsTranslation Ireland Yes NoTranslation SanMarino Yes FullTranslationBulgaria Yes FullTranslation Italy Yes FullTranslation Serbia Yes FullTranslationCroatia Yes ClaimsTranslation Latvia No ClaimsTranslation Slovakia Yes FullTranslationCyprus Yes FullTranslation Lithuania Yes ClaimsTranslation Slovenia Yes ClaimsTranslationCzechRep. Yes FullTranslation Luxembourg No NoTranslation Spain No FullTranslationDenmark No ClaimsTranslation Macedonia Yes ClaimsTranslation Sweden No ClaimsTranslationEstonia Yes FullTranslation Malta Yes NoTranslation Switzerland Yes NoTranslationFinland No ClaimsTranslation Monaco Yes NoTranslation TheNetherlands No ClaimsTranslationFrance No NoTranslation Montenegro Yes ClaimsTranslation Turkey No FullTranslationGermany No NoTranslation Norway Yes ClaimsTranslation UnitedKingdom No NoTranslation
APowerformforGreecemustbeonfilebythevalidationdeadlinetocompletethenationalrequirements.
Stage 3 - Validation - Docketing Requirements
Checkrequirements– don’trunoutoftime:• Translations:• Fulltranslationsmayberequired– Italy,Spain
Stage 3 – Validation Matrix – Full Translations
Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq.Albania Yes ClaimsTranslation Greece Yes FullTranslation Poland Yes FullTranslationAustria Yes FullTranslation Hungary Yes ClaimsTranslation Portugal No FullTranslationBelgium No NoTranslation Iceland No ClaimsTranslation Romania Yes FullTranslationBosnia/Herz. Yes ClaimsTranslation Ireland Yes NoTranslation SanMarino Yes FullTranslationBulgaria Yes FullTranslation Italy Yes FullTranslation Serbia Yes FullTranslationCroatia Yes ClaimsTranslation Latvia No ClaimsTranslation Slovakia Yes FullTranslationCyprus Yes FullTranslation Lithuania Yes ClaimsTranslation Slovenia Yes ClaimsTranslationCzechRep. Yes FullTranslation Luxembourg No NoTranslation Spain No FullTranslationDenmark No ClaimsTranslation Macedonia Yes ClaimsTranslation Sweden No ClaimsTranslationEstonia Yes FullTranslation Malta Yes NoTranslation Switzerland Yes NoTranslationFinland No ClaimsTranslation Monaco Yes NoTranslation TheNetherlands No ClaimsTranslationFrance No NoTranslation Montenegro Yes ClaimsTranslation Turkey No FullTranslationGermany No NoTranslation Norway Yes ClaimsTranslation UnitedKingdom No NoTranslation
Stage 3 – Validation Matrix – Duplicate Translations
Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq.Albania Yes ClaimsTranslation Greece Yes FullTranslation Poland Yes FullTranslationAustria Yes FullTranslation Hungary Yes ClaimsTranslation Portugal No FullTranslationBelgium No NoTranslation Iceland No ClaimsTranslation Romania Yes FullTranslationBosnia/Herz. Yes ClaimsTranslation Ireland Yes NoTranslation SanMarino Yes FullTranslationBulgaria Yes FullTranslation Italy Yes FullTranslation Serbia Yes FullTranslationCroatia Yes ClaimsTranslation Latvia No ClaimsTranslation Slovakia Yes FullTranslationCyprus Yes FullTranslation Lithuania Yes ClaimsTranslation Slovenia Yes ClaimsTranslationCzechRep. Yes FullTranslation Luxembourg No NoTranslation Spain No FullTranslationDenmark No ClaimsTranslation Macedonia Yes ClaimsTranslation Sweden No ClaimsTranslationEstonia Yes FullTranslation Malta Yes NoTranslation Switzerland Yes NoTranslationFinland No ClaimsTranslation Monaco Yes NoTranslation TheNetherlands No ClaimsTranslationFrance No NoTranslation Montenegro Yes ClaimsTranslation Turkey No FullTranslationGermany No NoTranslation Norway Yes ClaimsTranslation UnitedKingdom No NoTranslation
Translationcostscanbesplitbetweentheseterritories.
Stage 3 – Validation Matrix – Relative Costs
Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq. Country PoA TranslationReq.Albania Yes ClaimsTranslation Greece Yes FullTranslation Poland Yes FullTranslationAustria Yes FullTranslation Hungary Yes ClaimsTranslation Portugal No FullTranslationBelgium No NoTranslation Iceland No ClaimsTranslation Romania Yes FullTranslationBosnia/Herz. Yes ClaimsTranslation Ireland Yes NoTranslation SanMarino Yes FullTranslationBulgaria Yes FullTranslation Italy Yes FullTranslation Serbia Yes FullTranslationCroatia Yes ClaimsTranslation Latvia No ClaimsTranslation Slovakia Yes FullTranslationCyprus Yes FullTranslation Lithuania Yes ClaimsTranslation Slovenia Yes ClaimsTranslationCzechRep. Yes FullTranslation Luxembourg No NoTranslation Spain No FullTranslationDenmark No ClaimsTranslation Macedonia Yes ClaimsTranslation Sweden No ClaimsTranslationEstonia Yes FullTranslation Malta Yes NoTranslation Switzerland Yes NoTranslationFinland No ClaimsTranslation Monaco Yes NoTranslation TheNetherlands No ClaimsTranslationFrance No NoTranslation Montenegro Yes ClaimsTranslation Turkey No FullTranslationGermany No NoTranslation Norway Yes ClaimsTranslation UnitedKingdom No NoTranslation
Foratypicalspecification,thegreencolouredcountriesarethelowestcostwiththeredcountriesbeingthemostexpensive.Thisisindicativeand
dependsontherelativelengthsoftheclaimstothedescription.
Questions
• QuestionsonToday’sProgramo PleasesubmittedyourquestionsusingtheQ&Abuttononthecontrolbaronyourscreen.
• IfyouhavequestionsregardingBlackHillsIP’sservicesorprocesses,pleasecontact:JimBrophyPh.612-867-4018jbrophy@blackhillsip.com
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Pleasejoinusforournextpresentation:HandlingOppositionProceedingDocketingintheEP
April19,2017at1:00PMCentral
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